لطفا منتظر باشید ...
Lesson Seven
Resurrection Prefigured
in This World
We are witnesses to a ceaseless
process of motion and change in the world; everywhere we see impressive
scenes of the renewal of life. If we step into the garden in winter, we
are confronted with a realm of lifelessness that can be compared, perhaps,
to the silent and motionless cemetery where the dead rest. It remains silent
and mournful, without the least sign of greenery, vegetation or freshness,
until the arrival of spring produces anew the conditions of life and the
trees resume their growth and activity. Conditions change all of a sudden
once the breeze of life begins to blow over the dead. The soil comes back
to life and begins acting anew. On the naked and withered forms of dry,
leafless trees new boughs begin to stretch forth, and the earth that had
seemingly lost all property of life becomes submerged in fresh flowers
and foliage. A pleasing and happy scene takes the place of the cold, dry
and spiritless atmosphere of winter.
Such scenes of death and renewal which take place before our eyes every
year remain unnoticed by many people. They pass them by with indifference,
without their curiosity being aroused and without learning any lesson or
making any deduction from this instructive phenomenon.
The power of observation in man needs to grow and develop, just like his
capacity for clear thought. It can serve as the source for his understanding
of complex matters, but man's tendency to disregard objective realities
in his daily life greatly increases his alienation from the truths that
surround him and renders barren his mental activity. Careful observation
of the changes and transformations that occur in created phenomena and
an analysis of the principles of which such changes are based, whether
simple or complex, not only helps man to understand the world but also
enables him to evaluate his own accomplishments and benefit more from them
more fully.
There are many scholars who when confronted with these scenes of death
and renewal are led by their intelligence to connect them with the life
and death of man; it is as if the concept of resurrection takes on form
before the eye of their intellect.
However, we should not imagine that it is only learned scholars who have
the capacity to observe and classify objective facts, linking them together
in order to reach a conclusion. Despite the varying degrees of knowledge
and awareness that men have, the path of reflection and thought lies open
for everyone. In proportion to his intellectual capacities, everyone can
learn a useful lesson from observing the occurrences and phenomena that
surround him.
If dry soil and the naked trees which temporarily suspended their activity
because of unsuitable circumstances so that no sign of life was visible
in them now abound again in freshness and vitality because of the effect
of natural factors such as the generous rainfall, why should we regard
the law of the alternation of life and death as being restricted to the
vegetable realm? Is there are any reason for denying man a similar resurrection
or proclaiming it impossible?
Plants are in fact the best witnesses to the inter-relation of life and
death. Within their apparently dead and lifeless seeds are living cells
that lie sleeping and sometimes remain healthy and capable of being sown
even after thousands of years. After the seeds are planted, the cells awaken
to life through the activity of warmth and moisture and begin to grow;
flowers, bushes, and grasses begin to emerge from the womb of the earth.
After their deaths, men are buried in that same womb and are even transformed
into earth. Then, when the spring of resurrection arrives and conditions
are ripe for the renewal of life, the particles of their bodies begin to
stir and they grow forth, just like plants from the seed.
It is true that the generative activity of the earth only apparently ceases
with the onset of winter because of natural causes; there is no real death
or complete cessation of life. But what is certain that a stagnation takes
place, a cessation of vital activity. We must remember, moreover, that
when life was first created the whole planet was empty of living beings,
only when the environment became favorable did the first spark of life
leap forth from the earth.
Life, a Mysterious Truth
Life is indeed a mysterious truth. It may be preserved, sleeping and motionless,
in dry genes and atoms for thousands of years, and then, as soon as the
environmental conditions become favorable, emerge from the atoms and cells
that have become dust and begin growing. There is no scientific reason
for rejecting such a hypothesis.
Researchers have discovered life in viruses that cannot be seen even with
the aid of electronic microscopes that enlarge objects millions of times;
despite their invisibility even to such sophisticated devices, they have
the capacity of life, motion and reproduction.
Although man is able to investigate life in such infinitesimally small
worlds, he can never exhaust all forms of life. He has not yet been able
to establish the exact dimensions of the genes and the chromosomes by means
of which he has inherited the attributes and characteristics of his parents
and ancestors. Despite this, life emerges from precisely these relatively
low organisms that border on the atom.
If life can take up residence within such invisible particles, safe from
all hostile forces, in such a way that no type of change is able to expel
it from its refuge and destroy it, what reason is there to think that it
could not be preserved over a drawn-out period in the cells of the human
body that have been turned into earth? Or, to use another comparison, why
should those cells not come back to life like insects that sleep through
the winter? In short, is there any obstacle at all to life ultimately re-emerging
from death?
The Qur'an, which encompasses in its gaze the whole vast and moving arena
of life and death, compares man's restoration to life with the resurrection
of the plants:
Thus We bring back to life the dead earth, and the coming back
to life of the dead on the day of resurrection shall be similar.
(50:11)
Or, in another verse:
God brings you forth from the ground like the plants and He will
then cause you to return to the earth. Then He will bring you forth once
again from the earth (71:17-18).
In these verses, God provides those who do not believe in the hereafter
with proofs taken from the sensory and material life of the world (in which,
of course, they do believe) in order to demonstrate to them the reality
of a future life. He answers the unbelievers with clear evidence taken
from the miraculous book of nature. Nonetheless, foolish and obstinate
people disregard the instructive phenomena that surround them and close
the windows of their heart on the truth.
Let us listen again to the summons of the Qur'an:
Look at the dry, barren earth and see how life emerges in it when
We send rain Upon it. Plants spring forth of every type. This is all indication
that God speaks the truth and will revive the dead; certainly He is capable
of all things (22:5).
When the rain pours down and water penetrates the depths of the soil, the
air that is concentrated there is pushed downward, causing a ferment within
the soil.
When the roots of plants grow within the soil they appropriate part of
the soil and their volume increases several times over, so that the earth
itself swells and expands considerably through the growth of the plants
it contains.
The Commander of the Faithful, Ali b. Abi Talib, peace be upon him, said:
I am astonished by the one who denies resurrection in the hereafter
although he cannot fail to see it in this world. (Ghurar al-Hikam,
p. 493)
The Imam expresses in these words his amazement at those negligent ones
who are indifferent to phenomena that are fraught with meaning.
Possessing an effectiveness that extends across time, the Noble Qur'an
should be used as a key to unlock the mysteries of the universe. When discussing
the creation of the fetus it again draws man's attention to resurrection
in the following words:
O mankind, if you doubt the day of resurrection and the ability
of God to restore life to the dead, know that We have created you from
dust, then from a drop of sperm, then from coagulated blood, and then from
a lump of flesh, partly formed and partly unformed, demonstrating Our power
through all of these stages. We appoint a certain time for what lies in
the womb, and then We bring you forth from the womb in the shape of an
infant, so that you may live and grow to maturity. Some of you die during
this process and others of you reach old age and the time of weakness and
impotence even to the extent of losing your understanding (22:4).
Man must reflect on the materials from which he was created. He
was created from a drop of gushing sperm that issues from between the loins
and the ribs. God Who is thus able to create man from this insignificant
liquid is without doubt capable of reviving him after his death
(89:5-8).
In connection with the resurrection of decomposed bodies, the Qur'an discusses
the question of motion and change. It points out that just as God Almighty,
at the beginning of creation, fashioned man out of particles of clay and
then set him on the earth, in accordance with precise laws of His own devising,
He will also restore man's bodily frame in its precise, original form,
in accordance with another set of carefully planned changes.
For He is all-knowing and well aware of all forms of creation and origination.
He knows the course of development on which the decayed body and bones
of man must be placed in order for them to recapture their original form.
Like all divine acts, this too will take place in accordance with universal
norms.
If re-creation is impossible, we must dismiss as impossible not only resurrection
and the hereafter but also the initial creation of man through the transformation
of particles of dust into his physical form.
We know that man is nurtured by means of various food stuffs; the compressed
essences of earthly substances fruit, vegetables, meat and dairy products
have a primary role in assuring his physical needs.
It can be said then that the drop of sperm which passes through various
stages of development ultimately takes on the form of a man is itself a
form of the earth that has undergone change; it results in a newborn infant
which possesses a special rank and loftiness among all the phenomena of
creation, by virtue of the pure qualities that are inherent in it.
If we reflect on the transformation of lifeless clay first into a drop
of sperm and then into a human being, this will clarify for us the question
of resurrection and the restoration of life to the dead.
The verses just cited draw the attention of man in the first place to the
beginning of creation and the material out of which his being was fashioned
so that he might reflect on the stages he traversed before becoming a fully
formed human being. They then raise the question of whether so powerful
a planner and designer could be incapable of gathering together the scattered
particles of man's physical being in order to fashion them into a new form
and inhale in it anew the spirit of life.
The Qur'an has recourse here to a rational analogy: if an individual or
group of individuals is able to perform a certain deed, it follows that
they are capable of performing another deed of the same type or even one
better than it.
Here, however, we are not dealing with a greater or more complex task.
The argument relates rather to one that is simpler and more straightforward:
after the collapse of the compounds of which the body is made up, God wishes
to re-create man out of existing materials.
We thus come to understand clearly the truth of these divine words:
We created you from earth and We will return you to earth, and
then bring you forth again from earth. (20:55).
The Development of the Fetus
The consecutive developments that the fetus undergoes in its own world,
its passage through a remarkable series of transitional stages as it pushes
forward, is one of the most remarkable phenomena in the whole of the created
world.
Man is completely unable to affect its passage through these various stages,
which takes place under the control of forces internal to the body and
is able at all times to surmount all obstacles successfully.
The cells of the fetus resemble each other during various stages of growth
and no sign can be found in the mass of cells of man's different limbs.
The circumstances under which abrupt changes take place in identical cells
permitting the formation of the limbs of the body is entirely unknown.
After reposing for a time in a temporary resting place, the intermingled
cells separate from each other and each of them makes its way to the limb
for which it is destined. The form of the fetus is composed of these cells
and it gradually begins to take shape.
Then God's power inhales the spirit of life into this inanimate form, enabling
a precious entity to emerge on to the plain of existence.
Alexis Carrel, the celebrated French thinker, writes as follows concerning
the miracle that the cells of the fetus represent:
We know that human body is first formed out of a single cell. As
the fetus develops, this single cell is transformed into two cells, each
of which is then divided into two other cells. This process of division
continues until the fetus has completed its growth.
Although the structure of the fetus becomes progressively more complex
with each instant of its growth, it retains the simplicity of function
that marked its original seed. Even when they have become a countless mass,
in proportion to the growth of the limbs, the cells retain the memory of
their original unity, and they know in advance the functions they are to
assume in the total scheme of the body.
The construction of each limb takes place in accordance with a particular
method, in the most remarkable way. The materials that are represented
by the cells are not put together like the building materials needed to
construct a house, and in fact we cannot speak here of a construction'
taking place, in the strict sense of the word. It is true that just as
a house is fashioned of bricks, the body is built out of cells. But in
order for the two procedures to be comparable, we have to suppose a house
built from a single brick. The brick in question would have to be capable
of yielding numerous additional bricks, through the use of river water,
mineral salts, and gases found in the air. Further, it would have to place
those bricks one on top of the other and build walls without the benefit
of an architect's plan or the presence of a builder. Then it would have
to change the bricks into glass for the windows, plaster for the ceiling,
coal for the heater, and water for the bathroom and kitchen.
In short, the construction of a single limb resembles a fairy tale
of the type told to children. (Insan Maujud-i Nashinakhte,
p. 102-103)
It is truly remarkable that the All-Powerful Creator fashions the symmetrical
and well-proportioned form of man out of a single cell that appears in
the womb. That form contains, moreover, numerous organs and capacities
that operate independently and continuously from the moment of their formation
in the womb until death.
This being the case, cannot God restore to their original state the particles
that have become scattered by death but have nonetheless a single origin
of which they are merely the changed form?
Can the one who reflects on the remarkable creation of the fetus persist
in regarding the restoration of life to the dead as impossible? Does the
resurrection of the dead represent something loftier and more difficult?
In order to grasp the truth, we must not assess things in a limited, defective
fashion. We must reflect instead on the miraculous realities that preside
over the universe.
In the animal kingdom the replacement of defective organs and limbs recurs
constantly. Certain reptiles, for example, are able to reconstruct a limb
or part of a limb when they lose it. There is a kind of worm which can
be cut up into numerous pieces, and then each piece becomes a complete
worm.
Although man is incapable of this kind of repair work, we should not regard
it as impossible that given the right conditions and a suitable environment,
the whole body of man should grow anew from a single particle, just like
a tree growing from a branch that has been grafted on another tree. This
is demonstrated by the fact that in the favorable environment provided
by the womb a human being is fashioned from a single cell.
To put it differently, in the same way that the seed of a flower holds
within the secrets of all flowers and in the environment that is suitable
for its growth develops into a beautiful rosebush which scatters its perfume,
so too a single cell can preserve in itself all the characteristics of
a fully developed human being and re-create them in a suitable environment.
Someone asked Imam al-Sadiq, upon whom be peace.
Does a corpse decay?
He answered: Yes, to such a degree that not a single trace remains
of the flesh or the bones. The only thing that does not decay is the earth
out of which it was created. It moves about freely in the tomb until it
is created anew, as it was the first time. (al Kafi III p.
251)
What the Imam meant by free motion in the tomb was probably the activity
of the atoms of the body, for electrons revolve constantly around their
central core. After the cells die and the body rots in the grave, the atoms
that once composed the body persist and are preserved in an unending circular
motion.
Once again the Glorious Qur'an sets forth, in the clearest possible way,
the limitless power of God and invites the deniers of the truth to reflect
on the nature of their own existence. The Qur'an regards the question of
resurrection as perfectly comprehensible for those who examine all things
in the light of intelligence. It proclaims:
Does man imagine that he has been left to his own devices? Was
he not a drop of sperm that was then changed into a clot of blood and then
created in his present form, as a male or female infant? Cannot so wise
and powerful a Creator restore life to him after his death? (75:36-40).
Miraculous Dimensions of Existence
A profound scientific examination of the totality of the world and the
numerous miracles that are enclosed within its horizons is capable once
combined with faith in the boundlessness of God's power of convincing man
fully of the principle of resurrection and of setting his mind entirely
at rest. This is particularly the case when we also take into consideration
the limits that have been placed on man's knowledge and awareness. If we
try to comprehend all the various dimensions of existence, the relative
paucity and inadequacy of man's knowledge becomes fully apparent.
Scientists themselves know full well that the achievements of science,
for all the progress that has been made, will never be able to provide
answers for all questions.
Man's limited powers of observation and thought become even more unequal
to the task of perceiving reality when his spirit is sunk in the mire of
obstinacy.
We know how varied are the forms of life that are to be found on this small
planet of ours, which in itself counts as nothing once measured against
the dizzying dimensions of the whole universe, but the particularities
of many of those forms of life are unknown to us. This is in itself a reason
why those who reject the possibility of resurrection should not deny it
with such ignorant obstinacy; at the very least they should approach the
topic in a more cautious and less categorical manner. Careful observation
of the realities that exist all around us can acquaint us in some measure
with the amazing power of the Creator, permitting us to understand, for
example, that resurrection and the restoration of life to the dead is not
more difficult or significant than the original creation of the world with
all its complicated mechanisms that function in complete harmony with each
other. It is thus that matters will be seen by those who have open minds.
The Qur'an says:
The creation of the heavens and the earth, together with the various
species of animals that are scattered across its surface, is one of the
tokens and signs of God's power. He is capable of gathering them all together
whenever He wishes and desires, and His power fully suffices to bring about
resurrection (42:29).
The unbelievers swear oaths that God will never bring back to
life one who has died, but resurrection is the firm promise of God. However,
the majority of mankind are unaware (16:38).
The unbelievers imagined that they would never be resurrected
O Messenger, say to them: I swear by my God that you will certainly be
resurrected and be made aware of the consequences of your deeds
(64:7).
Is God who created the heavens and the earth in this fashion without
becoming weakened or tired unable to resurrect the dead? Certainly God
has the power to do all things (46:33).
In short, the One Who with the hand of His power created the total scheme
of being with all the miracles it contains, Who has caused His eternal
and inviolable justice prevail over all things, whether great or small,
and Who has bestowed life on a part of His creation such a One is definitely
able to restore life to the dead. Such restoration of life will certainly
be easier than the first creation of the entire universe, for any intelligent
person will grant that it is far simpler to reassemble the scattered components
of a single being than it is to summon the whole of creation into existence.
Is it more difficult to assemble a piece of machinery or to make it? There
can be no doubt that it must be easier for the maker or inventor of a piece
of machinery to disassemble its parts and then put them back together again.
This leads us to the observation that God as the Creator is the inventor
of man. First He created him out of a handful of earth and then He gave
life to successive generations of men by means of a single cell. Without
doubt He will not face any obstacle when He wishes to gather the scattered
particles of man's being and join them together again.
Just as God transforms an invisible cell by means of a well-ordered plan
into billions of cells, and then into bones, skin and flesh, thereby bringing
into existence a perfect human form, He is also able to repeat this process
by causing the atoms that have undergone change to grow again and receive
life anew.
All that impinges on our awareness in the creation of an individual is
that one person is born of another, but God is aware of all aspects of
creation.
Thus the Qur'an declares: He has knowledge of every kind of creation
(36:79).
For He has the infinite power that was required to create the first living
being out of a handful of earth, without any process of birth taking place.
In analyzing these truths, the Qur'an proclaims:
Have you not perceived that you were first a drop of sperm? Was
it you who created that drop of sperm in the form of a human child or was
it Us ? We have decreed death for all Our creation. If We wished, We could
destroy all of you and replace you with a new creation, or raise you up
in a way of which you are now unaware. You are aware of the first creation;
why do you pay no heed to the second creation? (56:57-62).
Mention is made in these verses of the divine will that has caused man
to pass through various stages of growth before attaining his full development.
It is stressed that all of these stages take place in accordance with God's
wishes and without man being able to intervene in the slightest. It is
He Who brings us into this world, moves us through it, and then removes
us from it, without either consulting us or seeking the assistance of anyone.
The limitless will and power that man is compelled to obey through all
the stages of his growth and development is certainly able to repeat the
whole process.
The Qur'an declares clearly: He is God Who began creation and
then restores it to its original form after death and dispersal. This restoring
is quite easy for Him (30:27).
The Qur'an reminds men that they should reflect with care on the manner
in which their life began and on the powerful hand that conveyed them from
their first lowly state to their present high station.
Man's progress from being a drop of sperm to becoming a being of value
takes place only through the will and command of God Almighty, for there
were epochs in which not even the name of man existed.
The Qur'an says: Did not a time pass over man when he was a thing
unmentioned? We created him out of a mingled drop of sperm and We gave
him the power of sight and hearing (76:1-2).
The existence of man is inexplicable without the existence of an originator,
a creator. He has not been cast into the world as the product of a series
of unconscious factors, but rather for a certain purpose: to traverse the
stages of the path leading to perfection, by means of his own choice and
devotion, and to attain his true and absolute object of worship. It was
the grace of the wise Creator that caused the rays of the spirit to shine
on lowly and worthless matter in order for the form of man to come into
being, to enter the world, and finally to return toward Him.
So God is the beginning and origin of man and also his purpose and destination.
All our being and aspiration is Your gift;
all our existence is of Your
making.
You displayed to non-being the
pleasure of being;
and made non-being enamored of
Yourself.
We existed not and we made no
demand;
Your generosity heard what we
left unsaid.
